SITUATION IN BELGIUM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3741, 3 October 1914, Page 5

SITUATION IN BELGIUM.

GERMANS FIRE PART OF TOURNAY.

FINE OF £2,000,000 DEMANDED. FRENCH NOTABLES TAKEN AS HOSTAGES. ROTTERDAM, Oct. 1. The Germans fired part of Tournay, and demanded a fine of two million pounds. French notables were taken as hostages. [Tournay is a Belgian town on the Scheldt, 35 miles W.S.W. of Brussels. Its splendid Romanesque cathedral, 400 feet long, has five towers and pictures by Rubens, and there are also the churches of St. Quentin and St. Brice (with the grave of King Ohilderic), the belfry (1190) and a bronze statue (1863) of the Princes d’Epinoy, who in 1581' valiantly defended Tournay against Parma-. An ancient place ) but modern, in aspect, Tournay manufactures hosiery, linen, Brussels carpets, and porcelain. In 1576 it was included in the Spanish Netherlands. The population is about 40,000.] GERMAN CONCENTRATION HUGE FORCES AT BRUSSELS. (Received October 3, 12.40 a.m.) LONDON, October 1. The Germans continue to concentrate huge train loads of troops at Brussels. African forces surprised and captured several positions in the vicinity of Ludeiitzo. There were no casualties. TAINUTS NARROW ESCAPE NEARLY SHARED KAIPARA’S FATE. HOBART, Oct. 2. The Shaw-Savill steamer Tainui reports that she was barely one hundred miles distant from the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse when the latter sank the Kaipara. AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS BUSY. NIGHT ATTACK ON RABAUL. POST OFFICE AND RAILWAY STATION BLOWN UP.

THREAT TO SHELL THE TOWN

The first news of active operations by a section of the Australian fleet comprising a cruiser and three of the destroyers ha® reached Sydney in ta letter received by the wife of a war-rant-officer on one of the warships. It describes under date August 12 a night attack on Rabaul, the German port, and coaling station, and naval base, in New Britain, off the coast of German New Guinea.

111 the hope of catching German warships in the port, which i® the only coaling station that Germany possesses in the Pacific, the cruiser and ±lie destroyers were despatched to make a night attack. They took up positions around the entrance to tlhe port, and waited for the dawn to disclose the'enemy. But fears that the German warships' had been warned were confirmed when day revealed their absence from the port. While the cruiser and the destroyers were lying with their guns trained! on the port, wireless messages were intercepted. They came apparently from the town, and stated, that four foreign men of war were in _ harbor. It was evident that the warning messages came from ®ome wireless station in the town, and were meant for the German squadron. “We went inside to blow up the wireless station,” the letter proceeds, “but we could not find it. So we smashed up the post office and the railway station. And we threatened them that if they sent any more wireless messages we would shell the town. ‘The three destroyers and the cruiser had a most impressive send-off last night, before we made our attack. We got our orders and then the flagship stopped her engines, and dropped out of the line, and all the officers and men assembled on her upper deck and as we passed they all cheered ns.

“The flagship’s band played “Advance Australia” and “God Save the King,” and made the following .signal to us, “The Admiralty wishes you every success, and has entire confidence in you.’ ” In a later letter the writer stated merely, “We are cleared, and ready, and may go into action any moment.” “THEY HAVE NO CHANCE.” CHEERFUL PETTY OFFICER. The following letter, dated August 24, posted at Townsville (Q.), has been received by a South Australian fro hi a petty officer on an Australian battleship: “Just a few lines to let you know I received your welcome letter yesterday. It cam& by the troopship we are escorting to German possessions. We have taken Rabaul, capital of German New Guinea, and are landing troops there to hold it. We are coaling here to-day, and leave to-morrow. Our ship is cleared for action, and the gun crews standing by their guns day and night. All spare gear and boats have been left behind at Thursday Island. We made a night attack on Rabaul, but there were no German ships there. The China fleet is driving them north. We spent all last week (searching for them, but have not come in contact with the enemy so far. Next week we have to take the Bismarck Archipelago, a wellfortified place. What with guns, and torpedoes we ought to give them a pretty warm time. Every night we darken the ship. There are about five German boats in the Pacific: the fSchrirnhorst is the biggest of them. She is 11,000 tons, has B.2in guns and 18in torpedoes. What chance has she. She steams 24 knots.

Descriptions of all the ships we have to face are on the notice board’ for the benefit of the ship’s company, and ,the boys are veay anxious to try conclusions. At Rabaul we gave them four hours’ notice to surrender, or we threatened to blow the town up. They hauled down their flags without much parley. That’s about the wisest tiring the- German ships could do, too. They have no chance whatever. The enemy will have to give in. We captured a,Trig German ship outside New Guinea with despatches on hoard for German cruisers. The despatches were tied around a full tin of condensed milk ready to be thrown overboard. Twenty-two bluejackets and one officer took her to Sydney. This war will do Australia a lot of good. It will show the people the value of their navy and army. Wo have the white ensign andl the blue ensign lashed to the .mast, and it is a - good ship that will take them down.

I don’t suppose wo will come off soot. free. She is the first defence ship, so we have to open fire first. The boys are looking forward to netting back to l Sydney about Christmas time, an-1 they all want at least two liars on their medals.”